The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a policy memorandum, implementing indefinite policy changes to the processing of asylum applications and benefit requests from certain countries. The policy directs USCIS personnel to place holds on certain pending applications and conduct comprehensive reviews of...
Nineteen states have filed suit in federal court seeking to block a Trump administration policy that requires a $100,000 payment to accompany certain new H1B petitions. The states argue the measure is unlawful, was put in place without required procedures, and harms public and private...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the January 2026 Visa Bulletin. There is some forward movement, especially in the EB1 category. All cutoff dates listed below refer to the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1)...
MurthyDotCom regularly addresses common questions and misunderstandings about immigration law. Questions regarding H1B status and changing employers often arise that refer to "transferring" the H1B. This term is frequently used, even by some immigration attorneys. The H1B is not actually transferred from one employer to...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the details governing the new Gold Card program, an immigration initiative established by Executive Order 14351. The program will allow foreign nationals to pay a fee in order to apply for lawful permanent residency (i.e., a...
The Murthy Law Firm has received multiple reports indicating an apparent uptick in prudential visa revocations issued by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) under INA §221(i). These notices have been sent to nonimmigrants across several categories, including individuals who previously completed required medical and...
As we embark on a new year, 2026, in a couple of weeks, we wanted to share the monumental work that the MurthyNAYAK Foundation (Foundation) and Sheela Murthy, have done through the Foundation for almost 25 years. The MurthyNAYAK Foundation has been providing support since...
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) O*NET system announced an update to its job zone classification structure, consolidating the previous five-level system into a four-level framework, to be implemented in February 2026. This change is a result of shifts in the labor market and rising...
The United States of America is celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2026, since the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, a notable milestone for this great nation, providing an opportunity to reflect on our past and work together with a common...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced 03.Dec.2025 that it will expand mandatory social media screening to include all H1B visa “stamp” applicants and their H-4 dependent family members, effective 15.Dec.2025. The expansion extends an online presence review requirement that previously applied only to student...
